Collateral Artery Development

Natural compensation to arterial occlusion occurs in the human body by development of collateral arteries.  The process of collateral artery development has been poorly understood.  A major research effort in our laboratories is to determine the mechanisms responsible for natural collateral  artery development so that we may understand why such development fails in some cases.  Recent publications by our group in this area include.

1. Unthank, J. L., S. W. Fath, H. M. Burkhart, S. Miller, and M. C. Dalsing. Wall remodeling during luminal expansion of mesenteric arterial collaterals in the rat. Circ. Res. 79: 1015-1023, 1996. 

2. Unthank, J. L., J. C. Nixon, and M. C. Dalsing. Acute compensation to abrupt occlusion of rat femoral artery is prevented by NO synthase inhibitors. Am. J. Physiol. 267: H2523-H2530, 1994. 

3. Unthank, J. L., J. C. Nixon, and M. C. Dalsing. Nitric oxide maintains dilation of immature and mature collaterals in the rat hindlimb. J. Vasc. Res. 33: 471-479, 1996. 

4. Unthank, J. L., J. C. Nixon, and J. M. Lash. Early adaptations in collateral and microvascular resistances after ligation of the rat femoral artery. J. Appl. Physiol. 79: 73-82, 1995. 

5.   Hyre, C.E., M.C. Dalsing, and J.L. Unthank.  Direct in vivo measurement of flow-dependent nitric oxide production in mesenteric resistance arteries. J. Vasc. Surg. 27:726-732, 1998.